CREATING USEFUL CATALOG COPY
The Basics
Create your catalog copy in the order that appears in the guidelines below.
Online submission form:
■ Go to www.nbnbooks.com. Select NBN Publisher, then click Production/Catalog
Information, and then Catalog Copy Online Submission form.
■ Complete the form. Click “Preview Form.” Add missing data, then click submit.
■ You will receive a copy of your catalog submission.
**How do I use the online form to submit series titles or multiple titles on one
page? Contact Liz Bussink (x 5515) for help.
NOTE: Fax your space reservation form to Liz Bussink at (301) 429-5746.
Guidelines
Title
Subtitle (indicate in this area if book is a second ed, third, or revised edition).
Author or Editor (include Illustrated by, Foreword by, or Translated by in this area)
Catalog Description:
Buyers read catalog copy the way they browse the newspaper. The first paragraph must
grab their interest and attention. Subsequent paragraphs should flesh out the story.
What is the most important selling point about your title? Is it your author? Is it the
subject matter supported by relevant statistics describing the target audience? Think
journalism 101: who, what, when, where, how and why and communicate that message
in your lead paragraph. Don’t make the buyer dig for the most salient points.
■ Adhere to the following word counts.
NOTE: word count does include the author bio. It is mandatory that you provide
the city and state of author’s home town.
-- Full page: (if approved by NBN): 350 words
-- 1/2 page: 175 words
Series Page: You may include several books on a page if they share the same
publication month. Word count will depend on the number of books. Try 20
words per book for pages with 4-5 books.
Contact Liz Bussink (x 5511) to learn how to use the online form to submit
multiple books for the same catalog page.
Reviews/Quotes:
■ If space permits, and if available, include reviews from previous editions
Author Biography
■ Include a brief author bio and list the city and state of residence for each author
and/or illustrator. If the author(s) lives in an obscure city please mention the
nearest large city (example: John Smith lives in Mill Valley, California near San
Francisco).
Publication Month: Use applicable month for the selling season.
Category
■ Select up to two categories. See this list or contact your account manager for
reference.
http://www.nbnbooks.com/production/CategoriesSubCategories.xls
BISAC Category
■ You can assign up to 3 BISAC categories per title. Please refer to BISAC list found at
http://www.bisg.org/what-we-do-0-136-bisac-subject-headings-list-majorsubjects---2009-edition.php
Page Count
Trim Size
■ Supply as fractions, not decimals
■ Note to overseas publishers: supply your trim sizes in inches, width by height
Carton Quantities
■ Our top accounts—Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Bookazine, Borders, and Barnes &
Noble—now insist that we supply a carton quantity at the time of the sale. Most
printers will willingly calculate a carton quantity.
■ Supply firm quantities only.
■ Quantities of 20 for hardcover and 30 for paperback are ideal.
Number of Illustrations
■ Please be specific about the number of photos versus illustrations and b&w photos
versus color.
Example: 10 b&w photos plus 3 color line drawings.
■ If you do not specify b&w vs. color, we will assume b&w.
Number of recipes, if applicable
ISBN-10 DIGIT / Price / Format
ISBN-13 DIGIT
■ NOTE: Please provide ISBN 10 and ISBN 13 for each format in the catalog
You can find detailed information for ISBN 13 and a 10-digit ISBN converter
calculator at http://www.isbn.org/converterpub.asp
Discount
■ Key: T = standard trade; P = promotional; AT = Academic Trade; R = Reference;
A = Audio; C = Computer; PRF = Professional.
ISBN of Previous Editions
The reps use this information to analyze sales of previous editions; the accounts use
the information to automatically swap orders for the previous ISBN to the new ISBN.
■ If your book was previously released as cloth and is now re-released as a
paperback, indicate “Now in Paperback!” and provide the ISBN of the previous cloth
edition.
■ If your book is a revised, updated or second edition (etc.), be sure to include a
notation in your subtitle and provide the ISBN of the most recent previous edition.
Marketing/Publicity Plans
Marketing for the catalog should focus on your plans to drive consumers into a store.
Information regarding trade/wholesaler advertising; Book Sense mailings, book club
sales, endorsements, trade show participation etc. should only be listed on the tip sheet.
Include marketing for the catalog in this order, if applicable:
Co-op available
Consumer advertising: Print; On-line; Direct mail
Publications your are targeting for: Reviews; Features; Editorials
News: special dates or month long events relevant to the title
Internet: Author/book website; Blogs; On-line chats; Viral marketing
Tie-ins: example: Black History Month tie-in
Events & Author tours:
Author speaking engagements relevant to the subject matter or target audience at
the time of publication;
Author book tours--Identify specific cities/regions;
Radio phone interviews
Radio or TV satellite tour
For all: List confirmed cities or, if you haven’t quite confirmed your plans, be
vague (Example: 25-city Radio Tour or Morning Drive Time Radio Tour
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DO NOT include the following in your Catalog Marketing Section:
(This information, if relevant, is better suited for the tip sheet)
■ Galley mailings, marketing budgets
■ Print runs (like 100,000 first print)
■ Previous edition sales (example: over 100,000 copies of first edition sold)
■ Do not mention specific accounts (for example, do not mention
amazon.com or the Barnes and Noble Discovery program as it could directly
affect sales at competing accounts.)
■ Do not include dates that are prior to your book’s pub. month
NOTE: This section is carefully reviewed by our sales force and information that
can not be used will be omitted.
AND FINALLY
Publisher name as you want it to appear in the catalog.
If you have any questions about preparing catalog copy, please contact
Liz Bussink (x 5515) or your Account Manager.